Get Your Full SXSW Slate Right Here!

One of the very coolest film festivals in the entire world has got to be Austin's South By Southwest. (Yep, the entire world. Why not?) Call it a combination of quality programming, the friendly people and awesome food/drink in a drop-dead kick-ass location, but if I had to give up every film festival but one ... this is the one I'd stick with. Anyway, hot off the presses is the full, extensive and rather impressive slate of SXSW feature films. So if you're still "on the fence" about heading down south in mid-March, you probably won't be by the time you finish reading this post. The offerings are as follows:

Spotlight Premieres

638 Ways to Kill Castro -- This documentary examines the incredible and controversial story of 638 alleged plots to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro. From CIA agents to Cuban exiles, exploding cigars to femme fatales, the film also provides a startling glimpse into the evolution of Cuban politics. (North American Premiere)

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane -- Popular teenager Mandy Lane seems to have it all, including a deadly killer who will stop at nothing to get to her. (U.S. Premiere)

Bella -- A soccer star and a waitress meet, and explore the world that surrounds them and connects them as they spend a day together in New York. (U.S. Premiere)

Big Rig -- A mesmerizing and beautiful look at the relatively unknown experience of the American "big rig" truck driver, as they struggle to stay relevant in today's digital age. (World Premiere)Doubletime -- This documentary reveals the divided world of competitive jump roping. The two top American teams belong to separate leagues that do not compete against one another. After 20 years of separation they finally meet at Apollo Theater in Harlem to face off. (World Premiere)

Election Day -- A verite examination, following a dozen voters (including an ex-felon, a poll worker, and more) over the course of November 2, 2004 - from dawn until long past midnight. (World Premiere)

Elvis and Annabelle -- A young mortician and a small-town beauty queen become unlikely romantic partners after the latter makes a mysterious return from the grave. (World Premiere)

Everything's Gone Green -- Ryan, twenty-something and not getting any younger, is tempted into a money-laundering scheme but struggles with his ill-gotten gains while trying to find happiness. (U.S. Premiere)

Exiled -- An exciting and modern gangster tale of brotherhood and betrayal on the streets of Hong Kong, Johnnie To's latest also pays homage to the classic American western. (Regional Premiere)

Does Your Soul Have a Cold? -- An artful documentary that looks at the issues facing modern Japanese citizens as they battle the reality of depression in a culture that only recently started to embrace it. (World Premiere)Eagle vs. Shark -- The tale of two socially awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love. (Regional Premiere)Hannah Takes the Stairs -- A group of Chicago writers are embedded in a tempestuous love triangle when Hannah inadvertently steals the hearts and minds of two close friends. (World Premiere)

He Was a Quiet Man -- An office drone returns from the brink of madness to become an unlikely savior and partner to a beautiful co-worker in need of the ultimate favor. (World Premiere)

Hell on Wheels -- The nonfiction tale of ambitious women who band together, doing their part to resurrect roller derby for the 21st century. (World Premiere)Knocked Up -- On the heels of 2005's blockbuster The 40-Year-Old Virgin, writer/director Judd Apatow again mines hilarity from the relatably human in a comedy about a one-night stand with unexpected consequences: Knocked Up. Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy, Roswell) joins Virgin alums Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann for a comic look about the best thing that will ever ruin your best-laid plans: parenthood.

Kurt Cobain: About a Son -- Juxtaposing stunning cinematography of present day Washington state and audio interviews with rock legend Kurt Cobain, this poetic documentary scratches beneath the surface of anything you think you know about this icon. (Regional Premiere)

A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar... -- A broad look at America's love/hate relationship with lawyers, and our fascination with suing one another. (World Premiere)The Lookout -- This intelligent crime drama is centered around Chris, a once-promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist. (World Premiere, Opening Night Film)

Manufacturing Dissent -- A documentary that seeks to separate fact, fiction and legend tracks Michael Moore on tour during the release of the explosive Fahrenheit 911, all the while chronicling the politically supercharged climate in America that has fueled Moore's transition from mere filmmaker to icon of the political left. (World Premiere)

Running with Arnold -- Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger run for governor of California? This documentary seeks to answer that question, as well as reveal some of the behind-the-scenes tactics that created his unexpected political career. (World Premiere)Sisters -- A pair of conjoined twins are separated and forced to live under the guidance of a controlling psychiatrist. (U.S. Premiere)

Smiley Face -- The hilarious saga of one woman's journey through an otherwise normal L.A. day, except she is very, very stoned. (Regional Premiere)Steal a Pencil for Me -- The touching true story of a man and woman forced to keep their love affair secret, while staying alive during the Holocaust. (World Premiere)

The Ten -- In a series of vignettes, an all-star cast offers up new and hilarious interpretations of The Ten Commandments. (Regional Premiere)What Would Jesus Buy? -- From producer Morgan Spurlock comes this entertaining and enlightening documentary look at the commercialization of the Christmas season. The famous Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping serve as the anchor for a disturbing and humorous portrayal of the way Christmas has evolved over centuries in America. (World Premiere)